Arkansas staff has big plans for Tennessee weekend

FAYETTEVILLE -- The Arkansas-Tennessee game is still eight days away, but Razorbacks coaches are already finalizing recruiting plans for the contest.
Five prospects have confirmed they will take official visits to Fayetteville to watch the game. The players are running back/linebacker Brandon Holmes (6-2, 215, 4.5 seconds in the 40-yard dash) of Sandy Springs (Ga.) North Springs; offensive lineman Wesley Britt (6-8, 295, 5.1) and tight end Jimmy St. Louis (6-5, 240, 4.7) of Cullman, Ala.; and running back Andrew Nuckolls (5-81/2, 152, 4.55) and offensive lineman Sean Young (6-7, 283, 5.15) of Northwest Whitfield in Tunnel Hill, Ga.
Britt, Holmes and Young are top-rated prospects and have been offered scholarships by Arkansas. St. Louis has orally committed to Auburn.
"It's still pretty firm, but I'm still going to look around a little bit," St. Louis said of his Auburn commitment. "I know [Arkansas] has a pretty good football program going on there and a good education. I just figured it may be worth a shot."
St. Louis talked with Arkansas offensive line coach Mike Markuson, who told St. Louis the Razorbacks would offer him a scholarship if he visited.
Britt is one of the highest-rated players in Alabama and is currently favoring Alabama and Florida.
"They think if I come in there and work hard, I could play some my freshman year," said Britt, who talks with Markuson weekly. "I want to go to a place where I can win. I want to win an SEC championship. They say they're going to win."

Brandon Holmes put Arkansas in his top five after watching the Alabama-Arkansas game as a guest of the Crimson Tide. After the game, Holmes said he met a couple of the Razorbacks coaches and players and was very impressed with how everyone got along.
"Their coaches have a nice relationship with their players," Holmes said. "That's one of the good things I'm looking for when I look at a school. I don't want to be anywhere where it's like a business.
"I don't know too much about [Arkansas]. I got a chance to see them play. That's why I'm really excited about getting up there next weekend."
Holmes is generally considered to be a linebacker prospect, but said the Razorbacks have left that open to him. He said he prefers running back but is willing to see how the transition goes in college.
"I really like their offense and I like their defensive philosophy," Holmes said. "If I'm not mistaken, I'm going to get a chance to do both. I feel they'll probably play me on defense, maybe, but it's kind of like a 50-50 thing.
"They like my size and my athletic ability. They like my ability to run for my size and my aggressiveness."
Holmes said he is also considering Florida, Tennessee, Notre Dame, Miami and Georgia Tech.

Wynne defensive end Arrion Dixon (6-4, 248, 5.1) saw teammates Tab Slaughter and Jerome Stegall orally commit to Arkansas State this week. Dixon was offered a scholarship by the Indians and said he is keeping that option open.
Dixon's favorite is Arkansas and, although he hasn't orally committed to the Razorbacks, he said he is still leaning strongly that way.
"I told them they're still my main, No. 1 option," Dixon said of the Razorbacks. "They say they still want me, and I tell them I still want to go there. I haven't told the coaches straight-up that I'm committed.
"I don't want to rush into anything. I don't want to go someplace where they have young players at my position."

Defensive back Nathan Vasher of Texarkana, Texas, said he is still open on a college choice. If the decision was left to his mother, he would be a Razorback.
"There's just so many, I really can't make up my mind," Vasher said about colleges recruiting him. "I'm pretty much staying open. I'm really interested in the Razorbacks. I think my mom has fallen in love with Arkansas."
Vasher (5-11, 170, 4.5) plays receiver and defensive back in high school. He said Arkansas coaches have told him they don't have a specific position in mind for him.
"They said I could come in and contribute immediately because they're graduating four defensive backs and some wide receivers," said Vasher, who talked to assistant coach Bobby Allen on Tuesday. "They said I could come in and easily get some playing time. They said they just had me down as an athlete, wherever they could put me."

Running back Lon Langley of Idabel, Okla., visited Arkansas unofficially for the Auburn game a week ago and could be considered the Razorbacks' first unofficial walk-on.
Langley (5-10, 175, 4.5) missed this season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee this summer. He said he is trying to improve his ACT score from a 25 average to a 28 so he can get some academic aid from Arkansas.
"I am going to walk on if I go to a college," said Langley, who rushed for more than 1,300 yards as a junior. "It's Arkansas right now."

Contact Marty Cook at marty_cook@adg.ardemgaz.com

This article was published on Friday, November 5, 1999

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